M'Makin's model American Saturday courier: vol. 18, no. 19

For the Model American Courier.
MORMON INFLUENCE--REFLECTIONS--THE CROPS—POPULATION--THE MORMON TEMPLE--RAIL ROADS, & C.
CARTHAGE, Illinois, June 11th, 1848.
Mr. A. M’Makin:
SIR—Hancock county within the last 18 months (out of Nauvoo) has gone ahead faster in a commer-cial and local point of view than she had during six years previously. That the stagnation was main-ly owing to the influence the Mormons exerted over the affairs of the county, every candid man must admit. Nevertheless this does not alter the esta-blished fact, that the manner in which they were forcibly expelled from the county and State, was contrary to all law, and in many instances a violation of the better principles of our nature, and has been the immediate cause of much misery, destruction, and suffering among the greater part of that deluded people. And I will here say that the position you have taken as the conductor of an independent journal relative to the affairs of our county, is, though seemingly bearing against its best interests, such as would have been expected under the cir-cumstances from those who are bound in duty to the general welfare and prosperity of our common country, to discountenance and condemn mobo-cracy and violations of law in every form in which they present themselves.
The prospect in Western Illinois for an abundant harvest of every kind of grain (especially wheat) is excellent, indeed I have heard many of the farm-ers here say that they have never known it equalled since they have lived in the State. And a more desirable place for immigrants to settle and obtain an easy, cheap and comfortable living, cannot, I think, be found anywhere in the West. Our towns and villages are on the march of improvement; our own, and the town of Warsaw, situated on the river 18 miles west of this place, especially. These two places each contain about six hundred inhabi-tants, and your readers can form an estimate of their increase in population since their emancipa-tion from Mormon thraldom, when in 1845—6, they contained little more than half that number. Nauvoo at present contains about 2000 inhabitants. There are now but 5 or 6 families in the city who avow themselves or are known to be Mormons; these are principally the agents of the churches, and their families, left to dispose of whatever pro-perty belonging to the Mormons remains unsold. The Temple, that gigantic relic of human folly and credulity, yet remains the property of the Church, though the Rev. Mr. Hayney, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, is negotiating with the agents for its purchase. It is understood that if he succeeds in getting it, that it will be con-verted into a magnificent college to fit young men for the ministry in that denomination.
A liberal charter has been obtained for the construction of a Railroad around the lower Mis-sissippi rapids on this side of the river, and books opened for the subscription of stock in Galena, Quincy, St. Louis, and other towns on the river. I believe that the principal part of the stock has al-ready been subscribed, mostly by eastern capi-talists.
This is a great and useful work, and when com-pleted, will immensely benefit not only this county, but the public in general. M. W. M.

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For the Model American Courier.
MORMON INFLUENCE--REFLECTIONS--THE CROPS—POPULATION--THE MORMON TEMPLE--RAIL ROADS, & C.
CARTHAGE, Illinois, June 11th, 1848.
Mr. A. M’Makin:
SIR—Hancock county within the last 18 months (out of Nauvoo) has gone ahead faster in a commer-cial and local point of view than she had during six years previously. That the stagnation was main-ly owing to the influence the Mormons exerted over the affairs of the county, every candid man must admit. Nevertheless this does not alter the esta-blished fact, that the manner in which they were forcibly expelled from the county and State, was contrary to all law, and in many instances a violation of the better principles of our nature, and has been the immediate cause of much misery, destruction, and suffering among the greater part of that deluded people. And I will here say that the position you have taken as the conductor of an independent journal relative to the affairs of our county, is, though seemingly bearing against its best interests, such as would have been expected under the cir-cumstances from those who are bound in duty to the general welfare and prosperity of our common country, to discountenance and condemn mobo-cracy and violations of law in every form in which they present themselves.
The prospect in Western Illinois for an abundant harvest of every kind of grain (especially wheat) is excellent, indeed I have heard many of the farm-ers here say that they have never known it equalled since they have lived in the State. And a more desirable place for immigrants to settle and obtain an easy, cheap and comfortable living, cannot, I think, be found anywhere in the West. Our towns and villages are on the march of improvement; our own, and the town of Warsaw, situated on the river 18 miles west of this place, especially. These two places each contain about six hundred inhabi-tants, and your readers can form an estimate of their increase in population since their emancipa-tion from Mormon thraldom, when in 1845—6, they contained little more than half that number. Nauvoo at present contains about 2000 inhabitants. There are now but 5 or 6 families in the city who avow themselves or are known to be Mormons; these are principally the agents of the churches, and their families, left to dispose of whatever pro-perty belonging to the Mormons remains unsold. The Temple, that gigantic relic of human folly and credulity, yet remains the property of the Church, though the Rev. Mr. Hayney, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, is negotiating with the agents for its purchase. It is understood that if he succeeds in getting it, that it will be con-verted into a magnificent college to fit young men for the ministry in that denomination.
A liberal charter has been obtained for the construction of a Railroad around the lower Mis-sissippi rapids on this side of the river, and books opened for the subscription of stock in Galena, Quincy, St. Louis, and other towns on the river. I believe that the principal part of the stock has al-ready been subscribed, mostly by eastern capi-talists.
This is a great and useful work, and when com-pleted, will immensely benefit not only this county, but the public in general. M. W. M.